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Compressed Air Propane Torches

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catceefer:
I am building a large copper dragon and up until now, I have managed with propane gas powering a MAPP torch. However, as the bulk is increasing, I need a more powerful torch to get the heat into the metal. Due to the size and shape of the work, it is not practical to surround it with fire bricks or the like.

I have read odd bits, here and there, about compresed air assisted toches and was wondering whether anyone has any experience of either using them, building one or converting a standard one to work in this way. Due to cost and space, I would rather avoid going down the bottled oxygen route and the cost of MAPP gas itself makes it prohibitive for the size of job. In addition to the MAPP torch, I have a Clarke torch: the cheap sort that are sold under various brands and come with three nozzles and an air compressor.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thank you.

James.

chipenter:
Have a look for foundry sites for burners and ideas http://www.backyardmetalcasting.com/ .

hermetic:
There is a type of torch used on brazing hearths which use compressed air/propane. Mine has a small rotary compressor under the brazing hearth. I also have another torch from a brazing hearth which I use portable with a gas bottle and an airline from my main compressor (nicknamed the blowlamp of doom!) you can braze quite easily with this, but your main problem will be as the dragon grows, the copper will conduct the heat away faster. Use a glassfibre or ceramic blanket to keep the heat in, and you shouldnt have a problem. if you do a google image search on "brazing hearth" you will see all types of air/propane set up. If you are soldering beware, as the blanket may keep enough heat in the job to melt completed joints.............not desirable!

Phil.

vtsteam:
catceefer I'd be very interested in what you find as well for a compressed air/propane brazing torch.

I did a thread here on an atmospheric torch but it required a hearth of sorts to contain enough heat for brazing. I'm sure you're already aware of Backyard metalcasting, as I am, but I haven't seen any specific information on constructing a torch that operates without a hearth, in free air, that concentrates heat to the degree required to braze locally on a large object.

There was a thread here on using an old oxy-acet torch, I believe, with compressed air and propane, but I don't recall seeing if it was attempted with brazing rod.

The big question is can the heat be focused adequately, not whether there is enough temperature in an air/propane flame, as some have claimed.

I think it probably can be done -- but that would be the design effort -- compacting the flame.

catceefer:
Thank you for the replies. I shall have a look at the variouslinks and, if I succeed in making anything useful, I shall update this topic.

Regards,

James.

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